Abstract

Drip-tips are a common feature of the leaves of rain forest trees, but their functional significance remains contested. The most widely accepted hypothesis is that drip-tips assist drainage of the lamina thereby aiding drying of the leaf surface and reducing the rate of colonization and abundance of epiphyllic organisms. The drying action of drip-tips may also enhance transpiration and reduce the need for investment in support structures. Furthermore, drip-tips may help prevent splash erosion around the base of the tree. Data from 130 forest Amazonian plots are used to investigate the abundance and distribution of drip-tips and, through regression methods that incorporate spatial autocorrelation, seek to identify associations between the frequency of drip-tips and a range of climatic variables. The average frequency of species and trees with drip-tips across all plots was 32 and 33 percent, respectively. Trees and species with drip-tips were significantly more prevalent in the Central-East Amazon than the other regions. Drip-tips were also associated with tree species that have smaller maximum heights and with trees with smaller trunk diameters. The proportion of species and individuals with drip-tips was more strongly correlated with precipitation of the wettest trimester than with total annual precipitation or length of the dry season. Our results extend and provide support for both existing hypotheses for the functional benefit of possessing a drip-tip. Moreover, the currently unrecognized macrogeographic association between the frequency of drip-tips in trees of the tropical forest understory and areas of heavy precipitation suggests a new function for this trait.